Listen Instead of Reading
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4 Thoughts
1. A Different Kind of AI for Breathing (one that works in real life)
For breathing, we don’t need artificial intelligence. Instead, we can tap into a much more powerful AI: Ancient Intelligence.
Before modern scientific methods, ancient cultures built “breathing algorithms” based on what worked in real life. We just have to follow them.
Although there are countless resources out there, here are two to get started:
And here’s to using a little more breathing AI, today : )
***
P.S. This was inspired by this Brian Johnson +1 🙏
2. The Good Breath isn’t Achievable; It’s a Way of Breathing
“Instead, the good life that I present, which is deeply grounded in the core principles of humanistic psychology and a realistic understanding of human needs, is about the healthy expression of needs in the service of discovering and expressing a self that works best for you.
The good life is not something you will ever achieve. It’s a way of living.”
- Scott Barry Kaufman, Transcend
I absolutely love this passage. And with it, I introduce my version for breathing:
The good breath is deeply grounded in the principles of human physiology and psychology, along with a realistic understanding of individual human differences. It’s about the healthy expression of your emotions and highest potential through breathing practices that work best for you.
The good breath isn’t something we try to achieve. It’s simply a way of breathing.
***
Related: The Deep Breath Hypothesis
3. Knowing isn’t Enough: You Have to Use the Breath
“As strange as it may sound, we tell ourselves that because we know how to repel a symptom …, we don't have to actually use the tool any longer.
[…] But if you want to build stronger muscles, you can't just think about lifting weights—you actually have to do the exercises.
In the same way, if you want to increase your Life Force, you have to actually use the tools.”
- Barry Michels and Phil Stutz, Coming Alive
I think they actually wrote that first sentence for me 😂
Just a reminder that, no matter how much we “know,” we still have to practice.
This goes for breathing or any other tool we use for a better life.
4. 7/11 for 7/11: Slow Relaxing Breathing for 7 to 11 Minutes
Since it’s 7/11, I invite you to practice 7/11 breathing with me:
7-second inhale
11-second exhale
Do this for between 7 to 11 mins (I did 10 this morning)
I’ve been using this rate almost every day for about 3 years, simply because 7 is my wife’s favorite number and 11 is mine <— super scientific 😂.
Give it a go and see how you feel 🙏
Extra: 3 Easy Ways to Relax with Mindful Breathing
Here’s another guest blog I wrote for ResBiotic. This is my favorite one yet : )
3 Easy Ways to Relax with Mindful Breathing
Enjoy the quick read!
1 QUOTE
“To meditate with mindful breathing is to bring body and mind back to the present moment so that you do not miss your appointment with life.”
1 ANSWER
Category: Lungs & Nerves
Answer: The lungs are filled with receptors and can be thought of as a sensory organ, communicating information to the brain via this nerve.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is the vagus nerve?
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
Breathing for Diabetes:
If you love learning about breathing, or just want to live an overall healthier life, I think you’ll really enjoy this class (diabetes or not).
* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.
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Each Monday, I curate and synthesize information from scientific journals, books, articles, and podcasts to share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy!") related to breathing. It’s a fun way to learn something new each week.